High House Waste ….. mince pies and mulled wine!

Sunday 4th December, was cold but sunny for the regular High House Waste workday.

The strong easterly wind meant the walk in wasn’t easy, but we warmed up quickly, helped by cake from Hilary. Seven years ago we cut the reave running from the Bronze Age settlement in the north of High House, making a track as well as the firebreak for the swaling in 2010. Since then the western gorse has regrown and the reave became obscured. However, Bob located the stones and three brush cutters and seven other volunteers cleared about 200 metres.

Dispersing cut gorse , wind-assisted

A section of the cleared reave

Before leaving we took a short rest on the ‘sofa’ – a natural granite block which Derek says was built by DFS -Dartmoor’s Finest Stonemasons – finishing with a pre-Christmas mince pie and mulled wine by the main gate. We’ll be back on 8th January, to finish the task.